The Malu Fernandez Issue

A few people may have wondered why ISAA Philippines didn’t try to put a stop to the personal attacks aimed at Malu Fernandez’s size when the issue first came out. I might have made a wrong decision but I chose the organization not to join the fray because of the sheer number of hateful comments her articles generated. I decided to comment on the issue personally and through my personal blog because I was intimidated by the hate out there. Comments such as

u fuckin hippo! go to hell! who u think u are? u look half beast half balloon! why they allowed this crap to feature in n.paper? i mean that was a foul statement to our OFW. as far as i know they are the modern heroes, no one have the rights to do that especially them, this racist malu is babaeng kupal? pinagsamang sebo at tuyong modtaks! in english go to hell where all of ur fats burn along with ur soul. greece ur ass!!!!

is very alarming and scary. I didn’t want to involve the organization because of the raw feelings of the people out there and how it might be seen that we are condoning what Malu Fernandez wrote. Now that the issue is dying down and people are starting to think rationally, I have a couple of things to say.

First, the articles of Ms. Fernandez are in no way agreeable with us. Her words are insulting not only to OFW’s but to every Filipino. She is so detached from reality, it’s no wonder that she was shocked with how the ordinary Filipino took her words.

Second, even if Malu Fernandez is at fault, it doesn’t mean that she deserves death threats. NOBODY deserves that, not even Osama Bin Laden I suppose.

Third, saying that insulting her size is justifiable because she insulted OFW’s is foul. Her size doesn’t have anything to do with her brain and her actions. The fat comments about her just goes to show how negatively fat is seen by most Filipinos.

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Who We Are

The International Size Acceptance Association Philippines Chapter is an organization made up of volunteers who share a common goal which is to promote size acceptance in the country. "Size Acceptance" doesn’t mean just acceptance for plus-sized individuals. It includes all shapes and sizes. ISAA Philippines is being headed by Ms. Karen Ang, whose dream is for the Philippines to be rid of size discrimination in the near-future. She believes that this can be achieved through advocacy, visibility, and lawful protests and actions. However, a size-accepting Philippines cannot be made by one woman alone. She needs your help to make this dream a reality. The organization needs more supporters right now, supporters who will contribute and implement ideas on how to make ISAA more visible. ISAA Philippines isn’t asking for donations at the moment. What we need is more supporters and great minds.